Northern Ireland clashes expected for Margaret Thatcher funeral

 
15 April 2013

Police in Northern Ireland are braced for trouble following Baroness Thatcher's funeral.

Resources will be brought to Londonderry to deal with any violence on Wednesday, a senior officer said.

Clashes between nationalists and residents of the mainly Protestant Fountain estate in the city have followed the former Prime Minister's death.

A protest event is expected at nearby Free Derry Corner after her funeral.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief superintendent Stephen Cargin said: "Police in Foyle are confident that they have the necessary resources in place to respond to any disorder that may take place."

Around 25 petrol bombs were thrown in the Fountain on Friday and police came under attack.

The district commander added: "It is clear that there are elements out there encouraging our young people to get mixed up in violence and disorder.

"They are putting young people at risk and causing damage within the local community. Parents need to take an active interest in what their children are doing."

North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds has condemned a group of "sick" Cliftonville football fans who celebrated the death of Baroness Thatcher by carrying a coffin with a witch's hat on it through Belfast, prior to winning the Irish League.

The Falls Road in West Belfast has also been a site for anti-Thatcher parties.

Dissident republicans have a strong presence in Londonderry and held demonstrations over the Easter period.

Mr Cargin said teenagers as young as 13 had been caught up in weekend violence in Northern Ireland`s second largest city and appealed to parents to keep an eye on their children.

"Civic leadership is what is needed to ensure we don`t see a repeat of the behaviour we saw at the weekend," he said.

West Tyrone Ulster Unionist MLA Ross Hussey condemned "violent sectarian attacks" against the people of the Fountain estate.

"The treatment of the Fountain is a major test for nationalists and republicans in the city of Londonderry in terms of their commitment to a shared future," he said.

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